William silver



(Nb Model.)

W. SILVER. RAILWAY AXLE LUBRIGATOR. No. 588,247. Patented Aug. 17, 1897" JL 5 I ill/III 9M r I 77/2/15 27/ Z02".-

as Remus versus 00.. PnOTO-UYNQ. msnmumu u c TVILLIAM SILVER, OF TAMVVORTH, NEW SOUTH WALES.

RAILWAY- XLE LU BRICATO R.

srncrrfoario v forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,247, dated August 17, 1897.

Application fiIed'lVIarch 3, 1996. Renewed July 19, 1897. Serial No. 645,168. (No model.) i

gineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britam, and a resident of Tamworth, New South Wales, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Railway-Axle Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a self-contained lubricating device for railway-car axles. It has been devised with the object of efficiently applying oil to the axle uniformly and continuously, preventing waste of oil, and providing a construction which will allow of the oil-reservoir and the swab being easily and quickly cleaned and the reservoir refilled.

.the box without loss of time.

For the purposes of myinvention the interior of the axle-box is a simple cubical cavity carrying the brasses and provided with a hinged or bolted cover through which the lubricator can be inserted and withdrawn. The lubricator is made to slide into the bottom of the axle-box, so that the swab will bear up against the axle.

The lubricator consists of a light metal reservoir whose top plate is disheddownward toward the middle, where there is an orifice through which the swab dips into it. The swab is a T-sha'ped (or similarly-shaped) block of soft felt or other suitable spongy fabric, and it is held in a yokewhich is mounted on a pair of flat riding-springs whose ends bear on the top side'of the reservoir, the yoke and springs forming a spring-seat for the swab. The lower part of the swab fills the orifice in the reservoir, but is capable of sliding vertically in guidesaround said orifice and of moving about with ease to adjust itself, but so as not to leave'any opening through which the oil could slop out. The ridingsprings hold the top of the swab up against the axle, but allowit to adjust itself so that it will bear constantly and evenly and apply an even film of oil to the axle. The sides of the oil-reservoir are continued up to form side guards which catch any spray or drips of oil from theaxle or brasses and direct them into the reservoir, and end guards may also be provided.

The shape of the reservoir effectually pre- .vents the oil from being slopped out, and as the swab applies only a wiped film of oil to the'axle there 'can be no drip or waste.

The oil-reservoir and swab can be lifted out of the axle-box and a duplicate complete lubricator inserted in a moment or a new swab inserted, as may bere quired.

Referringto the annexed drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section through a railwayaxle box'holding a lubricator constructed according to the present invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal section and plan on line A B, Fig. 1 Fig. 3, a transverse section; Fig. 4, a longitudinal half-sectional elevation through the lubricator-box alone; Fig; 5, a plan of the same; Fig. 6, a transverse half-sectional elevation through same, and Fig. 7 an end elevation of swab -yoke and riding springs. There is no novelty in the construction of the box or bearings. Fig. 8 is a side view of the swab detached.

1 is the oil-reservoir, whose top plate 2 is dished downward from the outer part to the central orifice 3, at the sides of which cheeks or vertical guide-plates 4 are set, having a number of holes 5 in their lower part to allow any oil which may come on the top plate 2 to flow back in the reservoir through the orifice 3.

The plates 4. are rigidlysecured to and carried by the dished top 2 of the oil-reservoir, and this part may be cast or otherwise formed with its various parts.

The sides 6 of the reservoir 1 are continued up to form side splash or guard plates, and

their top edges are turned in so as to come close upto the sides of the brasses 7. The ends 8- of the reservoir 1 are also continued to form end splash or guard-plates. These side and end plates catch any oil sprayed or thrown from the axle or brasses and cause it to flow back into the reservoir 1, whereby oil waste is prevented and the box kept clean.

The yoke or swab-carrier consists of two sideplat'es 9, connected together by transverse pieces 10 at the ends thereof outside the ends of the swab, and, if desired, also a bottom loop 11. These hold the swab 12, which is a rectangular piece of material the two lower corners of which are cut away to decrease the length of its lower part. Its upper part is as long as the brass, but the lower part is only sufficiently long to fill the orifice 3. The swab can be pulled out of this yoke and reinserted very readily.

Brackets 13 on the plates 9 carry ridingsprings 14, whose ends bear on the top plate 2 of the reservoir. The yoke fits between the plates so as to slide freely, and the depth of the swab is such that its lower part will be always in oil while the upper part is rubbing against the axle. The riding-springs are light fiat springs, which while bearing the swab constantly upward allow it to adjust itself to the axle so that it will bear for its full length.

15 is the door of the box, which must be opened when it is required to enter or withdraw the lubricator.

It is evident that the shape of the reservoir 1 can be altered so long as the top plate 2 is so arranged that there will be a considerable surplus space over the oil around the sides of the chamber, in which it can surge about, whereby splashing and slopping out of oil is prevented.

The arrangement of the riding-springs also might be varied. Thus they might be made to bear on the end guards 8 instead of on the top plates 2.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In combination, the casing, the oil-reservoir having the dished top with the central opening and with the upwardly-extending guides 4, the swab-carrier having the swab therein and having the lateral extensions lying over the dished top and the springs between the dished top and the lateral extensions, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the main casing, the reservoir having the dished top with the central opening and the guide-plates 4, the swab extending through the central opening of the reservoir, and means for carrying the same, said guide-plates t being perforated for the return of the oil to the reservoir, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAM SILVER.

\Vitnesses:

O. G. HEPBURN, W. I. DAVIS. 

